Okay, it's not really my first lesson. I started school three weeks ago.
That being said, I got a chance to read my classmates' writings for our workshop. I am amazed at some of the creations I've seen. Almost everyone is in the process of writing a book. I've been one of the first ones to have my work critiqued and I've had to learn to figure out which suggestions should be let go and which ones are worth keeping. But I have to admit, it wasn't easy listening to people tell you what's wrong with your writing.
What I've learned so far is that I need to be more descriptive in my writing. Readers want to know what the characters think, feel and see. Also, my text is very dialogue heavy. I had always thought my writing was suppose to tell instead of show, but I guess I was taking that too literally. Lastly, I have to make my writing age appropriate. I'm in a Writing for Children class and even though my story involves teenagers, I still have to watch the language. *oops!*
I'm also taking a teen literature seminar. There are the classics, like The Catcher in the Rye, The Chocolate War, Lord of the Flies. And contemporary, which I love reading, The Clique, Tyrell, and Destroy All Cars. I'm fascinated by how we can discuss these books and everyone seems to be able to see a deeper meaning in these books; how Holden Caulfield asks about the ducks in Central Park when ever he doesn't have a designated destination, the groupthink you can see in comparing The Clique to Lord of the Flies, and how Jerry Renault "dares to disturb the Universe."
Fascinating....
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